Erxest kartiiafs



(No Model.)

B. KARTHAUS.

HOD 0F INSERTING MAINSPRING AND REMOVINC- THE SAME.

397,505. %Pa,tented Feb. 12,1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrce.

ERNEST KAR'lllAFS, ()l lll N'lSYllil'fi l, ALABAMA.

METHOD OF lNSERTlNG MAlNSPRlNGS AND REMOVING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,505, dated February 12, 1889. Application filed .lpri. 25, 1 888. $erial Na. 271,868. No Illfltlflld T0 a/ZZ who/1t it may concern.- l

Be it known that. 1', EnNEsr Kanrnans, a citizen of theL'nited States, residing at llunts- 1 ville, in the county of Madison and State of Alaliama, have invented certain new and use t'ul Improvements in the Method of Inserting Mainsprine's and Removing" the Same; and I do declare t he following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, snch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw- I ings, and to the letters of reference marked 5 thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to a method of inserting and removing the mainspring-s into and from the barrels of watches and other timekeepers, that will be hereinafter tullv described and claimed. '7

The object of my present invention is to facilitate the insertion and removal of mainsprings of watches and other time-keepers while they are in a coiled or woundaip state, and to enable this result to be attained without the use of special instruments for coiling and inserting such springs.

In the accompanying, drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a mainspring' having: a detachable encirclingring for holding it in a coiled or wound-up state in a condition ready for insertion into a watch-barrel according to my improved method. 1* i is a detached view of the ring adapted to receive the coiled mainspring, and Fig. 3 illustrates my method of simultaneouslyinserting a coiled mainspring at one end of a barrel and removing another spring at the opposite end thereof.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

The common practice 0t placing mainsprings upon the market is to wind wire around the same" to prevent the uncoiling thereof, these wires being removed before the springs are placed in the barrels. I i

It. is apparent that special means must be resorted to for preventing the uncoiling' ot' the springs after the wires are removed, and the appliances of a watch-maker are required to lit the springs in place properly and make the required connection with the barrels.

In order to lacil ital e the ready insert ion and removal of springs, I resort to the useol' a ring-- shaped clasp, (-2, which is made of metal or other suitable material. and which is titted closely and snne'lyaronnd the mainspring, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

The exterior diameter of the clasp-ring is made slightly larger than the interior diameter of the watch-lnirrel in orderihat the claspring' will strike the end of the barrel when the spring is placed therein, while the interior diameter ot' the clasp-ring is equal to or slightly smaller than the interior diametcrot the barrel in order that the mainspring' can be easily lllWi'lOtl therein, it being understood, also, that the mainspring' thus coiled and clasped is also slightly smaller in diameter than the clasp-ring and the barrel it is to enter.

It freiipiently happens that springs originally inserted into watell-barrels must be replaced by weaker or stronger ones, and in order to permit the change to be easily and expeditiously made without the aid of special tools or great skill l have provided a watchbarrel with two removable heads,which,however, is not. claimed herein.

In practicing my improved method oi iiiserline' and removingmainsprine's into and from the barrel of a watch a specially-eaeed cla'isp-rine', (1, is selected and titted closely around the new mainsi irine' that is to be inserted, the mainsprine' having been first wound up or coiled to the required size.

It will be unlflcrstoml that the clasp-ring selected has its exterior diameter slightly larger than the interior diameter of the barrel, and that the interior diameter ot' the ring corresponds to or is slightly smaller than the corres 'roniiline' diameter of the lnirrcl. After one or both of the removable heads of the watch-barrel have been removed one edge of the mainsprinc is forced into one end of the barrcl and displaces the old spring therein a corrcspoinline' distance. the clasp-ringstriking against the end ot the barrel when the spring is partially inserted.

The new mainspring is finally l'orccd conipletcly into thcbarrel and the old mains n-inc expelled from the opposite end of the barrel, the clasp-ring being slipped from the tirst mainspring, when the latter is forced CUlll pletely into the barrel, by reason of the end of the barrel offerin g resistance to the movement of the clasp-ring with the mainspring when the latter is forced completely into the barrel.

If desired, a clasp-ring may be fitted around the second mainspring before its complete expulsion from the barrel, in order to prevent the mainsprin g from nncoiling.

In a common watclrbarrel having only one detachable end head the broken old spring .in the barrel is first removed in the ordinary manner, and then the new spring is inserted by forcing it from its clasp-ring into the barrel, in the manner hereinbefore set forth.

I claim 1. The herein-described method of inserting mainsprings into the going barrels of watches and other time-keepers, which consists, first, in placing a non-expansible clasp around the mainspring to be inserted, the interior diameter of said clasp being of corresponding or slightly smaller diameter than the barrel into which the mainspring is to be inserted, and then forcing the mainspring into the barrel and causing the clasp to strike the end of the barrel, whereby the clasp is removed from the mainspring by the operation of forcing the mainspring into the barrel, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The hereii'i-described method of insertin g and removing mainsprings into and from the going-barrels of watches and other timekeepers, which consists, first, in placing a nonexpansible clasp-ring around the mainspring to be inserted, the interior diameter of said clasp-ring being of corresponding or slightly smaller diameter than the barrel into which the mainspring is to be inserted, then partially forcing the mainspring into one end of the barrel and partially forcing another mainspring already fitted in the barrel from the opposite end thereof, and finally forcing the first mainspring completely into the barrel and entirely expelling the second mainspring therefrom, the clasp-ring being removed from the first mainspring, when the latter is forced completely into the barrel, by striking against one end thereof, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ERNEST KARTHAUS.

Witnesses:

T. A. THURSTON, J. W. COOPER, Jr. 

